Okay no this is bad this is really bad. He has no idea what is being implied here but he doesn't need to know that to know he does not like it. Still he backs up again, stepping over the root carefully but finds its origin a moment later when his back strikes the tree roughly and now he's cornered, again, fucking fuck, devastating cliff drop in every direction and this guy still closing, fuck, what does he want what does he want?

"I can't do anything," he protests, caustic sharpness faltering into pathetic, open fear. "I - I can't-"

"Liar," whispers Nova, and he blinks down at her, for the moment stunned to silence.